Electromagnetically induced transparency directly to quantum degeneracy

As precision sensing has improved in the modern day, Bose-Einstein Condensates have emerged as prime candidates for improving contrast and coherence time in the next generation of quantum sensors such as matter-wave interferometers. To achieve high repetition rate and performance, it is crucial to develop cooling techniques that decrease the generation time and atomic number loss. In recent years, promising all-optical cooling methods have emerged as an alternative to the atom-loss heavy evaporative cooling method. Thanks to an accessible Feshbach resonance, we plan to directly cool Rb-85 atoms to quantum degeneracy by using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) cooling. The Feshbach resonance allows us to tune the scattering length between the atoms to near-zero, minimizing atom-atom collisions detrimental to all-optical cooling techniques.